FORKROOT

The music being played by Forkroot on their debut Between Two Cities was a pleasing mishmash of folk and bluegrass that drew from both the old and new sources, from both sides of the Atlantic, and sampling from different musical traditions–yet putting a spin on it that used their quirky writing and instrumental expertise to carve out their own unique sound. They are back with Water & Shade, and, happily, it is more of the same. As before, the trio has Nick Montemarano on banjo, guitar, and vocals; Reece Miller on mandolin, accordion, flute, harpsichord, and vocals; and Ryan Kilpatrick on upright bass and vocals. The 11 songs mix originals and covers, instrumentals and vocals–and even the contemporary tunes have a swagger and feel that seems flow from Celtic taverns and the music played in them.

The opener, “Coyotes at the Dump,” jumps out of the speakers, bouncing along as the vocal tells about the sorry state of the world, as quick strums on guitar and accordion move the feet. This is music to jig to, quicksilver and lively. The guys back off the throttle just a bit for “Drink Until It’s Right,” which is more of a folk-blues exercise, and a good opportunity for Miller’s mandolin to take a turn, along with Montemarano’s slick guitar chops, with a few bars of bass solo as well. As they did on the last album, the band plays instrumental suites, the first is “Whidbey Island/ Barry’s Window Machine/Gunna,” which has all the earmarks of several strung-together traditional Celtic fiddle tunes, with changes of speed and time signature as the song moves through ear-catching stretches of hot guitar and accordion soloing with each shift in pace. These guys know their scales.

The band puts social commentary into “Undertow,” which isn’t bluegrass or folk, it’s a protest song about how “Everybody’s crying out for that long lost sense of hope/ These burning buildings topple and fall, sad and slow/ Everybody’s laughing loud at these clowns behind the show/ They all stop and they wonder how did we fall into the undertow?” “Opus in the Breeze” is balls to the walls–mandolin and guitar bluegrass–with nice lyrics about the rhythms inside giving it a shanty feel. Another suite follows, this time with a slower and more traditional approach, as “Lone Pine/Big Tex” opens with a stately mandolin piece, followed by a bluegrass hoedown matching the guitar and mandolin that climbs up and down musical staircases for a couple of pleasing minutes.

The fun continues with a spirited cover of the Beatles “Revolution,” which is worked over as a bluegrass dance tune, with the Miller again taking the lead on mandolin, and soon joined by Monetmarano’s six-string. Another sharp cover is “Tranent Muir” a traditional Scottish folk song that is given a reverent, but fiery reading that is missing only kilts and snare drum.

With Water & Shade, Forkroot have “stuck with the horse that got them here,” bringing old school and new together for an interesting spin on bluegrass folk.